HMS Britannia (1820)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Britannia.

HMS Britannia was a 120-gun first-rate ship-of-the-line of the Royal Navy, laid down in 1813 and launched on 20 October 1820.

Watercolor of HMS Britannia, c. 1834, by John H. Wilson
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Britannia
Ordered	6 November 1812
Builder	Devonport Dockyard
Laid down	December 1813
Launched	20 October 1820
Fate	Broken up, 1869
General characteristics as built
Class and type	Caledonia-class ship of the line
Tons burthen	2616 bm
Length	205 ft (62 m) (gundeck)
Beam	53 ft 6 in (16.31 m)
Depth of hold	23 ft 2 in (7.06 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Armament	120 guns: Gun deck: 32 × 32-pdrs Middle gun deck: 34 × 24-pdrs Upper gun deck: 34 × 18-pdrs Quarterdeck: 6 × 12-pdrs, 10 × 32-pdr carronades Forecastle: 2 × 12-pdrs, 2 × 32-pdr carronades Poop deck: 6 × 18-pdr carronades
General characteristics after 1839
Armament	120 guns: Gun deck: 30 × 32-pdrs + 2 × 8 in guns Middle gun deck: 32 × 32-pdrs + 2 × 8 in guns Upper gun deck: 32 × 32-pdrs + 2 × 8 in guns Quarterdeck: 4 × 32-pdrs + 12 × 32-pdr carronades Forecastle: 2 × 32-pdrs + 2 × 32-pdr carronades

Britannia enters Portsmouth in 1835, George Chambers

Commissioned in 1823, she saw service in the Mediterranean from 1830-1 and in 1841. She was decommissioned in 1843, before returning to service for the Crimean War, serving as flagship of Admiral Sir James Deans Dundas, commanding the British fleet in the Mediterranean and Black Sea from 1851–4..

Britannia and the Allied Fleets anchored in the Bosphorus, late 1853; the prelude to the Crimean war. Giuseppe Schranz

She was engaged in the Bombardment of Sebastopol on 17 October 1854 during the Crimean War. On 14 November 1854, she was driven ashore on the Russian coast and was reported to have 5 feet (1.5 m) of water in her hold.

She returned to England at the beginning of 1855 and that year became a hospital ship at Portsmouth, then a cadet training ship in 1859. She was moved to Portland in 1862, then Dartmouth in 1863, where she served as residential barracks for cadets.

She was finally sold for breaking up in 1869. Her place at Dartmouth was taken by HMS Prince of Wales, which was renamed Britannia for the role.

Generations of naval officers had their first taste of the navy aboard the two Britannias. Alumni included John Fisher, Percy Scott, John Jellicoe, Roger Keyes, William Boyle, Augustus Agar and King George V.

References

• Lavery, Brian (2003) The Ship of the Line – Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650-1850. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-252-8.
• Lyon, David and Winfield, Rif (2004) The Sail and Steam Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815-1889. Chatham Publishing, London. ISBN 1-86176-032-9.
• Duckers, Peter (2011) The Crimean War at Sea: The Naval Campaigns against Russia, 1854-56. Pen & Sword Maritime. ISBN 1-84884-267-8.

External links

• Media related to HMS Britannia (ship, 1820) at Wikimedia Commons
• The Dreadnought Project